Uprooted Palestinians are at the heart of the conflict in the M.E Palestinians uprooted by force of arms. Yet faced immense difficulties have survived, kept alive their history and culture, passed keys of family homes in occupied Palestine from one generation to the next.

Saturday, 31 January 2015

The cheerful mood of the participants in the ceremony held by Hizbullah at Sayyed Shuhada Complex, in Dahiyeh [Beirut's Southern Suburb]on Friday amidst un-resting applause and the chanting of "Abu Hadi", all showed that the honorary festivity to commemorate the martyrs of Quneitra turned out to be a festival of triumph, and not a grieving sacrament.

An opposing scenario on the "Israeli" part could be exposed. On Friday, "Israeli" media covered Hizbullah's Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah's televised speech which conquered the Hebrew media.

The literal translation of the speech was posted as a whole on "Israeli" news websites, especially channel 2 and the Zionist newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, the most prevalent among "Israeli" media. Sayyed Nasrallah's speech also topped the news bulletins and feeds of television channels and radio stations.

However, Zionist media tried to undermine the grave impact of his Eminence's speech on the "Israeli" public through shedding light on the local Lebanese ground.

"Israeli" news website Ynet for instance, mentioned that Hizbullah's provocation is Lebanon's nightmare.Ynet analyst stated that the Lebanese leadership and public feared a new round of fighting with "Israel" which would inflict huge economic damage. Furthermore, Iranians - as the report accused - feared that their involvement in the conflict would negatively affect nuclear talks.

According to the report, Yedioth Ahronoth allegedly learned that members of Lebanon's al-Mustaqbal party even tried to convince Sayyed Nasrallah to call off his planned speech in order to prevent an unnecessary provocation against "Israel".

These allegations could be refuted through the public and official reactions nationally and internationally which appreciatively received Hizbullah's attack on Shebaa farms on January 28.

From the "Israeli" point of view, the most important part of the speech was its focus on two aspects: the issues of deterrence and the closure of the rules of engagement, and engaging among all fronts against "Israel".

Meanwhile, silence prevailed among the "Israeli" officials - their inaction offered an opulent subject for analysts and commentators.

The first Hebrew channel indicated that Sayyed Nasrallah seemed very proud of the cell that carried out the Shebaa operation, and was more pleased of the supportive reactions in Lebanon.But most of all, according to the channel, "Hizbullah did not conceal its desire to engage in an additional front in the Golan Heights, and deterred "Israel" as a result of his responses on the Lebanese border with the occupied Palestinian territories".

They pointed out that Sayyed Nasrallah was trying to impose new rules of engagement with "Israel".It added that what happened two days ago, and the firing of rockets in the Golan, pointed to a change in the rules of engagement identified in 2006 and in accordance with 1701 resolution. Henceforward, the recent events in the North ended, but Hizbullah wrote that ending.

Military Affairs commentator in the channel said that Sayyed Nasrallah set his destination to the following: any "Israeli" act against Hizbullah, be it in the Golan or elsewhere, was now subject to different rules of engagement, and would be responded by Hizbullah. Thus, the security establishment viewed the new rule as a dangerous precedent; henceforth ""Israel" should take into consideration whatever action it will initiate".

Sayyed Nasrallah addressed the Zionist entity at the height of his morale and strength saying: "By your cowardly actions, you have made the resistance break all the equations from now onwards". He added that the resistance did not want war; however, it did not fear it once called upon.Source: al-Ahed news

A majority of Americans believe Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should be investigated by the FBI for nuclear weapons technology smuggling before being allowed to enter the United States according to a new poll.

In 2012 the FBI declassified and released files (PDF archive) of its investigation into how 800 nuclear weapons triggers were illegally smuggled from the U.S. to Israel. According to the FBI, the Israeli Ministry of Defense ordered nuclear triggers (krytrons), encrypted radios, ballistic missile propellants and other export-prohibited items through a network of front companies. Smuggling ring operations leader Richard Kelly Smyth alleged that Netanyahu worked at one of the fronts – Heli Trading owned by confessed spy and Hollywood producer Arnon Milchan – and met with him frequently to execute smuggling operations.

The poll was commissioned by the Institute for Research: Middle Eastern Policy (IRmep). When informed of the incident, most Americans (54.9 percent) indicate that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should be investigated by the FBI before an upcoming U.S. visit.

Israel officially designated the smuggling operation "Project Pinto." Smyth was captured, prosecuted and incarcerated in 2002 after years on the run as an international fugitive. The krytrons were believed to be destined for Israel’s clandestine nuclear weapons program.

Only 25.8 percent of Americans polled believe Netanyahu should be allowed to freely visit the U.S. while 15.9 percent say said he should neither be investigated nor allowed to enter the U.S.

When questioned by Israeli and Russianmedia about the smuggling affair, the Israeli Foreign Ministry denied involvement.

Younger respondents (age 18-24 and 25-34) are generally more likely to want Netanyahu investigated (73.6 percent and 62.0 percent) than older Americans. Reponses vary little between income categories. However females (63.4 percent) were more likely than males (50.4 percent) to prefer Netanyahu be criminally investigated before being allowed to enter America.

Netanyahu has recently announced plans to break diplomatic protocol and address the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) and Congress in March, 2015 without coordinating his state visit with the White House.

The IRmep poll, with a margin of error of plus or minus 2.5 percent, was fielded January 26-28, 2015 by Google Consumer Surveys and received 1,507 responses. The poll question, response choices and statistically significant results may be viewed online and cross-tabulated.

Is Ahmed al-Assir an emir in the Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS)? The news might come as a shock at first, but anyone who traces the intellectual progression of the imam of the Bilal bin Rabah Mosque will realize that the man after the Abra clashes is not the same man he was before the clashes.

Reports that Assir is set to be appointed the emir of the Lebanese branch of the world’s most notorious extremist group have yet to be confirmed. What is certain, however, is that the man has been further radicalized since his disappearance, especially after he isolated himself from people as his diabetes continues to weigh down on him.

Months ago, there were reports from small Islamist circles claiming that Assir had become close to al-Qaeda affiliate al-Nusra Front. The reports asserted that the fugitive cleric conducted a self-assessment to correct his course, “which had many flaws” compared to the work of jihadi groups.

Assir’s popular base of support and his symbolic leadership among people from the city of Saida, as well as his notoriety in Lebanon, mean his allegiance to ISIS would give the group the chance to rally hundreds to its cause.

These reports were reinforced by Assir’s supporters pledging allegiance to al-Nusra, and by the warm welcome Assir received in the Ain al-Hilweh refugee camp. At the time, ISIS was not as notorious as it is today, or as notorious as al-Nusra. Further, a number of Assir’s followers had gone to fight in the ranks of al-Nusra in Qalamoun.

So what prompted Assir to switch his allegiance from Abu Mohammad al-Joulani to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi?

According to information obtained by Al-Akhbar, Assir began to “turn” several months ago, in parallel with a shift in his ideology and beliefs.

Although there are no confirmed reports regarding his whereabouts, security reports indicate he has fled to a town in the Bekaa, and — contrary to some rumors — is still in Lebanon. Other security sources are almost certain Assir is still in Ain al-Hilweh.

According to the same sources, the people betting on Assir being in the camp are affiliated with ISIS, most notably Naim al-Naim, Youssef Shabayta, and a man known as Abu Aisha. The sources say these individuals had a great influence on Assir, and perhaps managed to persuade him of the virtues of their ideological line.

Bear in mind that these three men are part of a group linked to ISIS in Ain al-Hilweh. The group also includes: Jamal Ramid know as al-Shishani, Shadi Sabha, Abu Hamza Mubarak, Abu Tareq Mubarak, and Mohammed Jomaa.

The sources went on to say that Assir’s ideas are not compatible with those of al-Nusra, even if the majority of his followers do not agree with ISIS. However, the sources reckoned that Assir’s popular base of support and his symbolic leadership among people from the city of Saida, as well as his notoriety in Lebanon, mean his allegiance to ISIS would give the group the chance to rally hundreds to its cause.

Accordingly, the sources believe it likely that he would be appointed emir of ISIS in Lebanon, which corroborates other security reports.

On the other hand, the leadership of ISIS has appointed Sheikh Abu Osama al-Baniasi as emir of the Qalamoun region, succeeding Abu Abdul-Salam al-Urdoni. Baniasi was close to Al-Nusra Front, similar to other ISIS emirs in this region like Abu Abdullah al-Iraqi, who was an associate of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi and and the emir of Al-Nusra in Qalamoun Abu Malik al-Talli.

Al-Akhbar learned that Abu al-Walid al-Maqdisi, who was a delegate for Sharia matters sent by the leadership of IS in Raqqa, was excluded as a candidate for the post after he failed to unify the militants under one leadership. It is worth nothing that Maqdisi, who is Jordanian, is hostile to al-Nusra Front.

The first outcome of the Quneitra Martyrs Operation in occupied Shebaa Farms was the resolution of one of the intended plots behind the delay of Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah's stance.

What the diplomatic delegations in Beirut feared, took place and the worst scenario according to it, fell: a "clean" operation from all standards". It was a painful response on a military convoy in occupied Lebanese territories, and the result was not merely that the resistance returned the "ball" to Israel's "court", but it also scored a goal against Israel. Now the latter could either accept to return to the old "rules of engagement" that were before the Quneitra crime or hold the responsibility of any dramatic deterioration not on the Lebanese level, but on the regional level.

According to diplomatic sources in Beirut, these briefs were specified in the last couple of hours or will be specified in the coming few hours due to escalated high-level diplomatic calls between Moscow and Washington, in attempt to contain the situation and convince Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu to bear the painful "slap" and consider it a "normal" and expected response to his idiocy in Quneitra. Amid that, there was a firm Iranian stance that the US Administration was indirectly informed about, which reassured that Tehran will be concerned of responding to any war which Israel could wage in the region.

Awaiting repercussions, military and security analyses on this operation top everything else. According to experts in military affairs, Hezbollah once again revealed its strong capability to control the battlefield, and again unveiled the fragility of the Israeli Army's deterrence, as the timing of the operation came in the peak of a security and military apparatuses mobilization in Israel; and as all the effort was focused on knowing where, when, and how will Hezbollah respond. All these measures and predictions did not change anything on ground.

The resistance chose the location, timing, and target with clear intelligence and military excellence, which would cause a scandal in Israel for the PM and the entire security and military system, and harsh questions about the success of Hezbollah's intelligence. More legitimate questions will be asked by the settlers, but they can be summarized in one question: "If the soldiers were incapable of protecting themselves, how will they be able to protect us if Sayyed Nasrallah decided to send his soldiers to Galilee?"

According to these sources, the coming days will unveil Hezbollah's veteran security which occupied the Israelis with false alarms on the borders for the past couple of days. Its fighters succeeded several times in manipulating Israel's electronic system and occupying Israel's locations and patrols in looking for "delusive" penetrators in certain areas of the settlements.

While preparations on ground were in full swing to strike accurately, some delusive security maneuvers were taking place in several strategic spots in Golan, in addition to sending misleading information to the Israelis through communication devices, leading to the gathering of this "good catch" in the aimed location. The clear brief that one comes out with here is that the resistance established with facts that its security and military body is clean from the "poisons" of the limited Israeli violations and that the Israeli security apparatuses are back to their "blindness".

The basic information about the operation are still missing something due to Israel's occupation in examining the types of missiles which Hezbollah used in destroying the Israeli convoy, as the size of destruction that the Israeli patrol came under supports Israel's fears and confirms its doubts over Hezbollah's possession of the advanced Russian Kornet missile system, and this means a strong turn in the balance of power on ground in any possible confrontation. But is this Israeli "fear" in place?

Of course it is justified, and there is no place here for exaggeration, according to the sources, as Israel is very well aware of what it would be facing if it made sure that this type of missiles was used in the operation. It would then understand that Hezbollah wanted to send a double message. The first is that the resistance will not permit any change in the "rules of the game", and the second is that what happened was the first practical trial to Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah words as he allowed his fighters to reveal the first sample of the party's unconventional weapons. But why is this weapon considered unconventional?

It is very simple, this missile system solved the critical problem that defects the Russian missiles, as the old type requires the rifleman to stay in his position while pointing the laser at the goal until the missile strikes it. In other words, this types restricts the freedom of the fighter until the moment the strike hits, which puts him under the risk of being exposed. As for the new system, the goal could be specified without having to wait there, hence, the fighter can strike and escape.

What makes this missile more significant than its first version which Hezbollah used in July 2006, is that this new system is capable of firing two missiles at the same time, it is also more accurate, has a longer-distance, and is much easier to operate. Moreover, a missile can be fired with an effective finite from around 150 meters up to tens of kilometers. This gives enough answers on how the resistance groups were able to fire missiles and leave the area, for by possessing this new weapon there would be no need to take a risk and approach the firing spot as the margin of accuracy that reaches ten kilometers helped the resistance fighters drill and take advantage of this factor.

The weapon's directing and shooting system is automatic , and it is directed through a laser light of the third generation. This automatic system is known in the military science to help trace and strike the goal before the enemy is aware of the laser light, even if he was supplied with laser warning systems.

This raises the ability to make accurate strikes, especially as this system has an additional option which allows striking two goals at the same time, and is capable of penetrating shields that has a thickness of 1,300 millimeters, and carry seven kilograms of high-explosives. Moreover, there are two types of these launchers, one carrying eight rockets and another carrying 16 rockets. Most importantly, this system has a high capability of jam resistance and is not effected by any attempt to misdirect or electronically sabotage the missiles. This explains the resistance's success in violating all the security measures taken on the other side of the borders.

Furthermore, the same sources indicate that the speed of the missile exceeds the speed of sound, and this has two benefits, the first is that it helps minimize the time between the launching of the rocket and its crash, and the second is that this high speed increases the level of penetrating the goal, especially the armors and reinforcements. What Israel fears the most here is that long-range systems mean that the missile is capable of clashing and attacking unmanned aircrafts from a safe spot.

So is it the Kornet-EM that Hezbollah used yesterday? Or is it some other kind of missiles? A question that the resistance will not answer for free, and this is Israel's problem after having received this harsh field "message".

The important thing is that this weapon has proved its efficiency, and most importantly Netanyahu has once again failed in his test of power with Sayyed Nasrallah. His military and security leadership could not "protect" what he thought was a "tactical" achievement in Quneitra for a couple of days.

As for the leader of the resistance, his men succeeded in making a strategic achievement only in a couple of days, after he had gathered them, set the required timeframe, and the high quality characteristics that will allow him to impose the "rules of engagement" in the frame of the "equation": "Did you see it drown?"

Fear-mongering is longstanding US practice. Obama nonsensically calls IS “unique…If left unchecked, these terrorists could pose a growing threat beyond (the) region, including to the United States,” he claims.

Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah announced Friday that after the Quneitra operation Hezbollah was no longer concerned with the so-called "rules of engagement" with the Israeli enemy in any coming battle or assault, and clarified that the resistance will be responding to any violation in the time and place that it chose.

Hezbollah Secretary General put new rules for the confrontation with the Zionist enemy in a statement he delivered during a ceremony in honor of the brave martyrs who were killed in Quneitra Sunday, after he reassured that "the resistance in Lebanon is in its full preparation and readiness".

His eminence addressed the families of the martyrs, offering them his condolences and congratulating them for this high rank that their beloved ones had reached. He further thanked all those who stood in solidarity with Hezbollah and offered their condolences especially in Palestine, Syria, Iraq, and Jordan, and all around the Arab and Islamic world.

Remembering the Quneitra martyrs, Sayyed Nasrallah expressed his compassion and sincere love for them, stating: "We congratulate and envy you and pray for God that He gives us this honor someday... You have left behind this world and its concerns and moved to the world of true happiness..."

"This group of martyrs is consisted of three generations, and with the martyrdom of General Dadi and Abu Issa, We can see that the leaders are always present with the soldiers, and this is the secret of the resistance. This group of martyrs which consists of sons and relatives of martyrs tell the enemy when it threatens them: Do you threaten me with death? well, death for us is a norm and Allah honors us with martyrdom."

"These families carry this ideology and the mixture of this Lebanese blood with the Iranian blood on the Syrian territories symbolizes the common cause, destiny, and battle which brings us victory..." Sayyed Nasrallah stressed, pointing out that "Quneitra martyrs prove to the world that the mujahedeen of Hezbollah, unlike what some satellites try to say, are still on the borders and will stay on the front lines because nothing in this world can stand between them and what they love."

His eminence indicated that "our region has been suffering at least since 1948 from a cancer called "Israel", a cancerous cell, a terrorist state, and a corruption germ... It has always been like that, but in the past couple of years it returned to its old method and added to its corruption and arrogance... as it still threatens, occupies, destroys, and assassinates... Israel today thinks it can do all that without anyone stopping it," and denounced the absence of the so-called "Arab League" considering that it had not played any useful role ever.

Explaining the Quneitra operation, Sayyed Nasrallah stated that "on Sunday, Israeli aircrafts targeted two vehicles carrying seven brothers and killed them all while they were in an inspection tour in Quneitra. The decision was taken between the Israeli PM's special staff, and the opposition leader was informed about it, so there was an Israeli decision to target this group, and the operation was very much similar to the one in which former Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Abbas Al-Moussawi and his wife and son were assassinated."

"Israel did not claim responsibility for Sunday's attack immediately as it might have thought that Hezbollah would keep silent, and will not announce about it or accuse the Israeli thinking that we are now in a weak state among our supporters. However, the first surprise for the Israeli was that Hezbollah instantly announced about the operation and stated the names of the martyrs only a couple of hours after..."

Falsifying all the Israeli claims that this group was present in Quneitra to wage an attack on Israel or to prepare for an attack, Sayyed Nasrallah asked: "Thousands of "Nusra Front" fighters are present with their weapons in Golan. What is Nusra Front? It is the Syrian version of Al-Qaeda, the organization labeled as terrorist by the entire world... and it has a wide military presence in the Golan. How come Netanyahu is not worried about that? How come Yaalon is not worried about that, and is instead protecting them, opening hospitals for them, and paying them visits? Well, Israel which was not worried about the presence of all those on its borders, took a dangerous decision because it was worried from the presence of two cars carrying seven men that only have their personal weapons."

From this point, his eminence stressed that Hezbollah will not forget about Israel as many want it to, and it will never forget about the Palestinian people, neither will its children and its grandchildren forget about them.

His eminence emphasized the painful aspect in the loss of these martyrs. However, he assured that we only regard that as a "divine blessing, and this is what the Israeli must understand, and just like Sayyeda Zeinab said when asked what she thought about the martyrdom of her brother: I haven't seen but beauty!"

As for some analyses that thought that Iran or Syria would try to prevent Hezbollah from responding to the attack due to their international interests, Sayyed Nasrallah assured that "none of our friends accept that we get humiliated or get killed and just sit and watch... and Israel must know that it cannot kill people and go to sleep peacefully as if what it killed were just bugs!"

Hezbollah secretary general reassured that since the first moment after the operation, the resistance was studying the revenge, and it did not hesitate for a second because "Israel had to be punished and this was worth sacrificing".

"The first achievement of these martyrs was that Israel since Sunday until Wednesday stayed tense and alert as it awaited the response of Hezbollah," his eminence said, adding that "on Wednesday, was the divine blessing, and the operation took place during the peak of the Israeli readiness and mobilization , yet Israel did not have a clue about what was happening, even after it was over, and this is a message for the friends before the enemy."

"In conclusion, they killed us in the middle of the day (11:30 am), in return, we killed them in the middle of the day (11:25 am), two vehicles and some extras, in return for two vehicles, deaths and injuries in return for martyrs, missiles in return for missiles, there is only one difference between the Israeli and us, the first is that they are cowards and half men because they only fight from behind shields and attack from the back, while the men of the resistance fight face to face. Moreover, the Israeli did not dare to claim responsibility for his operation, while the resistance immediately claimed responsibility after its operation."

Sayyed Nasrallah expressed gratitude for the resistance fighters and leadership, specifically those who carried out the Shebaa operation, and assured that the Israeli had only achieved failure and regret until now, while the resistance achieved victory, seeing that the Israeli enemy is incapable of confronting the resistance on ground.

Finally, his eminence reassured that the armed Takfiri groups, specifically those in Golan, are allies to Israel and they are similar to Lahad Army that was in south Lebanon.

He added that the resistance did not want war, however, it did not fear it, and imposed a new equation in the conflict against the Zionist enemy: "After Quneitra operation, the resistance is no longer concerned with the so-called "rules of engagement" or with confronting aggression and assassination, it no longer recognizes disassociating fields, and it is our legitimate and legal right to confront any violation at any time and any place and in any way."

As for Israel's decision to avoid any war, "we are aware that the Israeli is trying to escape a military confrontation and will head to look for the men who humiliated him on Wednesday to assassinate them. Based on that, I say that in the past we used to differentiate in our response on an assassination or a military act, but today if any resistance member is killed, we will consider it our right to respond in the appropriate time and place," Sayyed Nasrallah announced.